Development and Characterization of Mouse Monoclonal Antibodies Reactive with Chicken Interleukin-2 Receptor αlpha Chain (CD25)

This study was carried out to develop and characterize mouse monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against chicken CD25 (chCD25), the alpha chain of the interleukin-2 (IL-2) receptor. A recombinant chimeric chCD25/IgG4 fusion protein was expressed in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells and isolated from spent cell culture medium by protein G affinity chromatography. Purified chCD25 protein was used to immunize mice, from which 54 stable hybridomas secreting chCD25 mAbs were produced. Two mAbs, chCD25-32 and chCD25-54, with high binding affinity for chCD25-expressing CHO cells were selected for further characterization. By flow cytometry, both mAbs detected cells in the spleen, bursa of Fabricius, intestinal duodenum, and immunostained established chicken T cell, B cell, and macrophage cell lines. Both mAbs reacted with a 55 kDa protein on Western blots of lysates from concanavalin A (Con A)-stimulated spleen mononuclear cells. Intraperitoneal injection of chickens with bacterial lipopolysaccharide increased the percentage of chCD25(+) spleen cells by approximately 4-fold compared with untreated animals. In vitro stimulation of spleen cells with Con A increased the percentage of chCD25(+) cells by up to 50-fold compared with cells treated with medium alone. Finally, the chCD25-32 mAb suppressed IL-2-driven spleen cell proliferation and reduced IL-2-induced nitric oxide production. These mAbs may be useful for future investigation of chicken regulatory T cells.